We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Humanity's Destruction of Earth's Climate in Ninety Seconds

Click here to access article by Jon Queally from Common Dreams.

This morning I heard part of Fed Chairperson Janet Yellen's testimony to the Joint Economic Committee of Congress in which she stated the following:

Although real GDP growth is currently estimated to have paused in the first quarter of this year, I see that pause as mostly reflecting transitory factors, including the effects of the unusually cold and snowy winter weather. With the harsh winter behind us, many recent indicators suggest that a rebound in spending and production is already under way, putting the overall economy on track for solid growth in the current quarter. [my emphasis]
I believe this quote indicates that the ruling class's Federal Reserve, which has so much power over the economy, still has no idea that their economic system is having a major and destructive impact on our biosphere. They continue to have their heads stuck firmly in the sand. This is a typical symptom of an addict: prolonged and irrational denial of reality in order to continue practicing a drug habit. 

This posting, and in particular, the dramatic graphic that it contains (reproduced below) in addition to many years of warnings by scientists will not alter their delusions or their behavior in the slightest. Hence, it is up to us to take charge of this society and world by any means possible--our survival is at stake.